Review: The Pulse (The Pulse Trilogy #1) by Shoshanna Evers

It’s been one year since an electromagnetic pulse destroyed America’s infrastructure and took down the power grid, throwing the country into a new Dark Age. Emily Rosen lives in a military camp at Grand Central Station, where women act as the soldiers’ private harem, selling their bodies on the tracks for extra rations. Emily escapes Grand Central and goes on the run from the soldiers intent on killing her for the secret she’s discovered—America is rebuilding outside of New York City, and everything the city’s refugees have been told is a lie.

Christopher Mason, a convict who broke out of prison after the Pulse, finds Emily before the soldiers do. Mason’s survived on the streets of New York City this long by looking out only for himself—but there’s something about the beautiful young woman that makes her impossible to leave behind. Now Emily must convince this intimidating, magnetic stranger to be her protector and guide as they journey out of New York and into the unknown. For Mason’s protection, Emily barters the only thing anyone’s valued since the Pulse—her body. But sex with Mason can never be just currency—it’s pure passion, and everything she desires.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Pulse. It’s dark, intense and gritty. Definitely and eye-opener to what may happen in the future. The harsh realities of their everyday lives were brutal. All the emotions and struggles all the characters went through were very intense and surreal. The evolution between Mason and Emily relationship from strangers to eventual partners was completely believable. And while it was easy to believe that women were subjugated and forced to eventually barter their bodies for sex to survive, I just couldn’t wrap my brain around all the sex. That one thing kept me from being able to completely lose myself in the story. Seems to me when you’re on the run for your life on top of being half-starved and tired, sex would be the last thing on your mind.

This is my second post-apocalyptic story and I’m still undecided if it is a genre I like. However, if futuristic novels are your cup of tea, especially if they contain lots of sex, then I highly recommend read this series. The final outcome should be pretty good.